Judges 21 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Mourning a Lost Tribe

1 Now the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 had sworn ^H7650 in Mizpah ^H4709, saying ^H559, “None ^H376 H3808 of us shall give ^H5414 his daughter ^H1323 to Benjamin ^H1144 [fn]in marriage ^H802.”

2 So the people ^H5971 came ^H935 to Bethel ^H1008 and sat ^H3427 there ^H8033 before ^H6440 God ^H430 until ^H5704 evening ^H6153, and raised ^H5375 their voices ^H6963 and wept ^H1058 [fn]profusely ^H1419 H1065. 3 And they said ^H559, “Why ^H4100, LORD ^H3068, God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, has this ^H2088 happened ^H1961 in Israel ^H3478, that one ^H259 tribe ^H7626 is ^H6485 missing ^H6485 today ^H3117 from Israel ^H3478?” 4 And it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 the next ^H4283 day ^H4283 that the people ^H5971 got ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925 and built ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 there ^H8033, and offered ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and peace ^H8002 offerings ^H8002.

5 Then the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559, “Who ^H4310 is there among ^H4480 all ^H3605 the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478 who ^H834 did not go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the LORD ^H3068 in the assembly ^H6951?” For [fn]they had taken ^H1961 a solemn ^H1419 oath ^H7621 concerning anyone who ^H834 did not go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the LORD ^H3068 at Mizpah ^H4709, saying ^H559, “He shall certainly ^H4191 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191.” 6 And the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 were ^H5162 sorry ^H5162 for their brother ^H251 Benjamin ^H1144, and said ^H559, “Today ^H3117 one ^H259 tribe ^H7626 is cut ^H1438 off ^H1438 from Israel ^H3478! 7 What ^H4100 are we to do ^H6213 for wives ^H802 for those ^H1992 who are left ^H3498, since we have sworn ^H7650 by the LORD ^H3068 not to give ^H5414 them any ^H4480 of our daughters ^H1323 as wives ^H802?”

Provision for Their Survival

8 And they said ^H559, “What ^H4310 one ^H259 is there of the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478 that did not go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the LORD ^H3068 at Mizpah ^H4709?” And behold ^H2009, no ^H3808 one ^H376 had come ^H935 to the camp ^H4264 from Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568 to the assembly ^H6951.

9 For when the people ^H5971 were [fn]counted ^H6485, behold ^H2009, not one ^H376 of the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568 was there ^H8033. 10 And the congregation ^H5712 sent ^H7971 twelve ^H8147 H6240 thousand ^H505 [fn]of the valiant ^H1121 H2428 warriors ^H376 there ^H8033, and commanded ^H6680 them, saying ^H559, “Go ^H1980 and strike ^H5221 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568 with the edge ^H6310 of the sword ^H2719, along with the women ^H802 and the children ^H2945. 11 And this ^H2088 is the thing ^H1697 that you shall do ^H6213: you shall utterly ^H2763 destroy ^H2763 every ^H3605 male ^H2145, and every ^H3605 woman ^H802 who has [fn]slept ^H3045 H4904 with a male ^H2145.” 12 And they found ^H4672 among ^H4480 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568 four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 young ^H5291 virgins ^H1330 who ^H834 had not known ^H3045 a man ^H376 by [fn]sleeping ^H4904 with him; and they brought ^H935 them to the camp ^H4264 at Shiloh ^H7887, which ^H834 is in the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667.

13 Then the whole ^H3605 congregation ^H5712 sent ^H7971 word and spoke ^H1696 to the sons ^H1121 of Benjamin ^H1144 who ^H834 were at the rock ^H5553 of Rimmon ^H7417, and proclaimed ^H7121 peace ^H7965 to them. 14 And the tribe of Benjamin ^H1144 returned ^H7725 at that time ^H6256, and they gave ^H5414 them the women ^H802 whom ^H834 they had allowed ^H2421 to ^H2421 live ^H2421 from the women ^H802 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568; but they [fn]were not enough ^H3651 for them. 15 And the people ^H5971 were ^H5162 sorry ^H5162 for Benjamin ^H1144, because ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 had created ^H6213 a gap ^H6556 in the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478.

16 Then the elders ^H2205 of the congregation ^H5712 said ^H559, “What ^H4310 are we to do ^H6213 for wives ^H802 for those who are left ^H3498, since ^H3588 the women ^H802 have been eliminated ^H8045 from Benjamin ^H1144?” 17 And they said ^H559, “There must be an inheritance ^H3425 for the survivors ^H6413 of Benjamin ^H1144, so that a tribe ^H7626 will not be wiped ^H4229 out ^H4229 from Israel ^H3478. 18 But we cannot ^H3201 H3808 give ^H5414 them wives ^H802 from our daughters ^H1323.” For the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 had sworn ^H7650, saying ^H559, “Cursed ^H779 is he who gives ^H5414 a wife ^H802 to Benjamin ^H1144!”

19 So they said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, there is a feast ^H2282 of the LORD ^H3068 from year ^H3117 to year ^H3117 in Shiloh ^H7887, which ^H834 is on the north ^H6828 side ^H6828 of Bethel ^H1008, on the east ^H4217 H8121 side ^H4217 H8121 of the road ^H4546 that goes ^H5927 up ^H5927 from Bethel ^H1008 to Shechem ^H7927, and on the south ^H5045 side ^H5045 of Lebonah ^H3829.” 20 And they commanded ^H6680 the sons ^H1121 of Benjamin ^H1144, saying ^H559, “Go ^H1980 and lie ^H693 in ^H693 wait ^H693 in the vineyards ^H3754, 21 and watch ^H7200; and behold ^H2009, if ^H518 the daughters ^H1323 of Shiloh ^H7887 come ^H3318 out ^H3318 to [fn]take ^H2342 part ^H2342 in the dances ^H4246, then you shall come ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the vineyards ^H3754, and each ^H376 of you shall seize ^H2414 his wife ^H802 from the daughters ^H1323 of Shiloh ^H7887, and go ^H1980 to the land ^H776 of Benjamin ^H1144. 22 And when ^H3588 their fathers ^H1 or ^H176 their brothers ^H251 come ^H935 to complain ^H7378 to us, we shall say ^H559 to them, ‘[fn]Give ^H2603 them to us voluntarily ^H2603, because ^H3588 we did not take ^H3947 for each ^H376 man ^H376 of Benjamin [fn]a wife ^H802 in battle ^H4421, [fn]nor ^H3588 H3808 did you give ^H5414 them to them, [fn]otherwise you would now ^H6256 be guilty ^H816.’” 23 The sons ^H1121 of Benjamin ^H1144 did ^H6213 so ^H3651, and took ^H5375 wives ^H802 according to their number ^H4557 from those who danced ^H2342, whom ^H834 they seized ^H1497. And they went ^H1980 and returned ^H7725 to their inheritance ^H5159, and rebuilt ^H1129 the cities ^H5892 and lived ^H3427 in them. 24 And the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 departed ^H1980 from there ^H8033 at that time ^H6256, every ^H376 man ^H376 to his tribe ^H7626 and family ^H4940, and each ^H376 one ^H376 departed ^H3318 from there ^H8033 to his inheritance ^H5159.

25 In those ^H1992 days ^H3117 there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 king ^H4428 in Israel ^H3478; everyone ^H376 did ^H6213 what ^H3477 was ^H3477 right ^H3477 in his own eyes ^H5869.